“Please. Just let me go.” Damn, her determination never to beg again had deserted her. Her hands shaking, she offered him her bag. She could get by without groceries for another day. “Do you want my tote? You can have it.”
His friend grabbed it out of her hand, then tossed it away with a casual disdain that made her heart thump.
“Nah. Not interested. What’d you make today? Ten bucks?” He shook his head, and pulled her up against his body, close enough that she could feel his erection. Her body turned to stone. “I got a better idea. See, Nick here is from outta town. He doesn’t like the local girls. Afraid he’s gonna catch something.”
He lowered his head, the smell of cigarettes and stale beer sickening. “But you, sugar? Why I’m bettin’ you ain’t hardly been touched at all.”
“Come on, Jeb,” Nick said impatiently. “Let’s get her back in the alley before she starts screaming or something.”
“Ain’t no one around in this weather to hear.” Jeb laughed, and ran a slimy tongue up her neck. “‘She ain’t gonna scream anyway, are you, sugar? Someone taught this little mouse her place.”
Screaming…Why wasn’t she screaming? Because he was right, it had never helped. Still, she parted her trembling lips and tried to take a breath in preparation. That’s when she felt the point of a knife against her ribs.
“Not the time to be forgettin’ that lesson, little mouse. Now we’re gonna try and find a dry spot and you’re gonna do whatever we say, right, sugar?”
She desperately wanted to say no, to fight and scream and claw, but she was paralyzed with fear. And maybe, maybe if she didn’t fight, they wouldn’t hurt her. Neither her daddy nor Adam had been quite so hard on her when she gave in to them.
While she was still wrestling with herself, Jeb had taken her silence for agreement and started dragging her back down the alley. When they passed the diner door, she thought about screaming again, but Manny wouldn’t be able to hear her through the thick fire door. And even if he did hear, she had no faith that he would try to intervene.
Jeb reached the end of the alley and pushed her under the slight overhang which covered the loading dock for the small Korean grocery store next door.
“Ain’t the Hilton, but good enough for scratchin’ that itch, right, Nick?”
“She don’t look like much,” Nick said dismissively.
Why were those the words that had tears stinging her eyes? Because she’d heard them so often? Her daddy had said the same thing when he gave her to Adam—she don’t look like much but she’s quiet and obedient and a fair cook. You could do worse.
Jeb laughed. “Hell, boy. You ain’t interested in her face. I checked her out earlier. Taller than I like and kinda skinny, but the parts are all there.”
With a cruel strength that made her pulse race, he ripped open her coat, then tore open the top of her uniform to reveal her shabby white bra.
“Tits are kinda small,” Nick drawled, but he stepped closer. Both of them were looming over her now, and she watched in horror as he ran his obscene red tongue over his lips.
“Hell, if you don’t want her, that’s your problem. My dick’s hard and she’s here. Good enough for me.”
“Fuck, no. You said I could have her first.” Nick reached forward and grabbed her breast, squeezing her nipple until she whimpered. His eyes lit up and he did it again. “Oh, yeah. I like it when they cry. You sure no one’s gonna hear?”
“Shit, no one’s around. And her boss ain’t comin’ out. I slipped him a twenty to leave out the front.”
Manny had sold her out for twenty bucks? She shouldn’t be surprised but that didn’t stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks. Nick leaned forward and licked them.
“Nothin’ sweeter than a woman’s tears.”
“Get on with it, man. I wanna get home to my old lady before she starts bitchin’.” Jeb had his pants open and was casually palming his penis.
Bile rose in her throat and she choked.
“Don’t you do it, bitch.” Nick slapped her face with a casual brutality that did nothing to soften the impact. “The only choking you’re gonna do is around my dick.”
“That’s more like it.” Jeb had moved closer, too, and he ran his knife between her breasts, slicing her bra open and leaving a thin trail of blood. “How about I fuck her mouth while you take her cunt? Or I could have a go at that tight little ass.”
As his words penetrated, she tried to back away but found only unforgiving concrete behind her. Even Adam had never gone that far.
“Oh, yeah. Look at her wiggle. Bet that’s a virgin ass.”
“I want it,” Nick growled.
“You wanted her cunt. I get her ass.”
The two men glared at each other and, for a moment, she prayed they would turn on each other. Instead, Jeb laughed and slapped Nick’s back.
“Fuck, we’ll both get a turn. I’m gonna start with her mouth.” He turned back to her. “On your knees, sugar. The wetter you get me, the easier it’s gonna be on that virgin ass.”
All she could do was stare at him in paralyzed horror. The fake good nature left his face. “I said on your knees, bitch.”
Nick’s hand tightened on her breast, agonizing on the already aching flesh. “Better listen, mouse.”
“N… no.” Her voice was barely loud enough to be heard over the rain.
“What’d you say? You ain’t tellin’ me no.” Jeb’s knife was at her throat. “I didn’t wanna hurt you, but you fight me, it’s gonna go a lot worse for you.”
His knife traced down her neck and circled her nipple. “Are you gonna fight me?”
Sobs tumbled out of her throat. “N… no.”
“Good mouse. But just to remind
